You Made Your Bed
by Alex20
Summary: Harry returns after being at war for nine months


You Made Your Bed  
  
Disclaimer: I Don't own Harry Potter.  
  
Breakfast that morning was similar to every other morning for the last nine months; the students filed in, the teachers already there with two exceptions, Professors Dumbledore and Snape. Ginny, Ron and Hermione took their seats at the Gryffindor table, leaving a customary seat for their absent friend Harry. Malfoy took his seat at the Slytherin table, glowering at the three of them.  
  
The only difference was that just before the end of breakfast, Professor McGonagall made an announcement, "Would Mr Weasley, Mr Malfoy, Miss Weasley and Miss Granger please remain in the Great Hall."  
  
Breakfast broke up, the other students hurrying towards their first period classes. The four named students made their way to the deputy headmistress.   
  
Professor McGonagall looked exceptionally strict this morning, none of the slight warmth she had shown in recent times for the three Gryffindors present visible in her demeanour, "You four will report to the headmasters office immediately, the password is 'insania'."  
  
The four looked at each other, Dumbledore must be back, a smile came over three of the faces there, but something gnawed at the back of the minds, something they couldn't put their finger on as they approached the office.  
  
After going up the staircase to the door, they entered the office. Ron and Ginny were surprised to see their parents present, sitting in two of the seats around the headmaster's desk. Neither looked happy, nor did the other occupants of the room. Professor Snape and Remus Lupin were sitting quietly off to one side, a sneer on Snape's face as they entered while Lupin merely shook his head. Professor Dumbledore sat behind the desk, no twinkle in his eyes, a disappointed expression on his face.  
  
"Take a seat please." No warmth was present in the headmaster's voice as he waved them to four empty seats in the room.  
  
Panic set in, the students wondered if they were in trouble, then they realised Harry wasn't with them. Panic mounted to hysteria as they began asking if he was okay, where he was. The three men who had returned after nine months, Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin silenced them directing them to sit.  
  
Dumbledore waited till they were settled before starting, "As you know nine months ago, Professor Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter and myself left Hogwarts to fight in the war against Voldemort. We were a team dedicated to hunting him down and eliminating him. After nine months, we are glad to report that Voldemort is no more, along with his inner circle of Death Eaters. This is mainly thanks to the efforts of young Mr. Potter who single-handedly defeated Voldemort in the climax of the fighting."  
  
Questions from the students began again, asking if he survived, why he wasn't back with him. Dumbledore raised his hand to silence them once more.  
  
"Mr. Potter did return with us last night, leaving us immediately to find yourselves. However, less than an hour later he returned to this office, with all of his belongings, requesting that he be given his graduation papers and allowed to leave. I granted his request, Mr Potter while away completed his education and beyond at a rapid pace so as to be ready for Voldemort. Mr. Potter has now left us for parts unknown."  
  
The students were shocked but the adults seemed strangely calm about the whole turn in events, Harry should have been there to celebrate the downfall of Voldemort, why had he left?  
  
Realisation began to set into the four students as they realised what had been going on last night, dread and fear about what was to happen next began to fill them.  
  
"Before he left however, he recorded a message for the people present in this room, that is why Mr. And Mrs Weasley are present, because Harry requested it."  
  
Dumbledore reached into his desk and withdrew a small orb, placing it on the desk, he tapped it with his wand and sat back.  
  
Harry's voice began to fill the air, "Welcome to those present, you are wondering why I am not present at this time. I will arrive to that in due course but first I would like to say a few things to you."  
  
"Albus Dumbledore, to the world you are a figure of legend, but to me you were my mentor, my teacher, my friend and if you will permit me, a grandfather," a small tear looked to be emerging from Dumbledore's eye, "You taught me many things, especially over the last nine months, but the most important thing you taught me was that the right thing was not always easy to do. You are wise, beyond your years, I see now why you never told me some things about myself, I won't say I agreed with how you did things, but I can understand why and I respect you for your strength in holding to your convictions. I will remember everything you taught me as I embark on my new adventures, I will keep in contact with you and in time we will meet again."  
  
Dumbledore's eyes were closed as he listened to his student, his comrade's words of farewell.  
  
"Severus Snape, you were always the hardest taskmaster. You never let up, you kept my feet on the ground and I thank you for that, although it may not have seemed like it at the time. You and I have never been friends, but we are comrades. I respect your work, you had a difficult role in the war to play and you played it with skill and determination. For this I thank you, and I respect your will to survive everything that happened. Down the road, we shall meet again, not as student and teacher but as old comrades from a time long forgotten. One thing before I go, don't take too much offence."  
  
Snape had a stoic look on his face as he heard the words of his former student, respect evident in his eyes. Out of nowhere a bottle of shampoo appeared and fell into his lap. Snape looked at the bottle, and surprisingly let out a chuckle as he held it. Both Lupin and Dumbledore joined in this little joke, while the others stayed completely silent, shocked at what was happening.  
  
"Remus Lupin, my parents' old friend and now my friend. Some may have looked down on you for what you are, but I do not. You have a rare strength of character, you have survived when everyone you once cared about is gone. You always were my favourite teacher, and I owe my life to you more than once. I remember your stories about my parents, about how life with them once was. I think now I understand them more, and a little more about myself. I ask you never to give up in life, remember those discussions we had at the campfire. Now as I leave, that goal is one that I am seeking to attain, I hope it will not be long and one day you will be free. I will be in contact with you, and we will meet each other soon, in this life or the next. Until then, Uncle Remus"  
  
Remus was unashamedly crying, the emotions running through him were overwhelming as his oldest friends' son spoke to him.  
  
"Mr and Mrs Weasley, you showed me compassion and comfort when you had no reason to. You welcomed me into your family, showed me love that I have never remembered receiving. Even with all your other children, you still made me feel special, not like those who follow me for my fame, but just for being Harry. My fondest memories are from your home, I would have said outside of Hogwarts it is the only place I was ever welcome. You should be proud of Bill and Charlie, they fought well and deserve the rest they now receive before returning to their lives. They were true Gryffindors, never backing down, never giving up, an inspiration to those around them. Please tell George and Fred to keep up the work in their shop, although you sometimes may not approve, they are working hard and doing a good service. We all need a laugh at times. Tell them they will never know when I will drop in or who I will be, so they better be on their toes. I would have liked to call you Mum and Dad, although you can never replace my real parents. I would like to think they wouldn't be offended if I call you that. So, Mum and Dad, you will be hearing a few things in the next wee while that may shock you, you may hate others or me. I ask you not to judge too much and to remember the love that makes your family so strong. I will see you in time; tell Bill, Charlie, Fred and George I will be in contact. Goodbye, Mum and Dad."  
  
The eldest Weasleys were in tears as they held one another, a faint, "Goodbye son" could be heard from Mr. Weasley.  
  
"Ron, once I would have called you my best friend, my brother, but now I find I cannot say that. Maybe I expected too much loyalty, or that maybe your sister deserved more loyalty than me. But I deserved the truth. I know what has been going on for the last three months; I know that you knew too. Subtlety and lying were never your strong points; I was just an idiot to not see it. Your avoidance of the subject, your glib comments in letters after seeing what I saw, speaking to who I spoke to, these facts were more evident than ever. You made clear once that if I ever cheated, you would kill me, but I see when the shoe is on the other foot it doesn't matter. Even with the parties involved. Maybe I am naïve, maybe I am a little slow, but god dammit I deserved to know. You always were a little jealous of me, but this went too far. You are no longer my friend, no longer my brother. Goodbye Ron Weasley."  
  
Ron sat there shocked, his face pale as his parents looked at him with confused expressions on their faces.  
  
"Hermione, you were my closest confidante, my sister like Ron was my brother. When the two of you started dating, I was the one who helped you through the problems; I made sure the two of you had time alone. I was the one who endured the ranting and raving, the one who gave you reassurance. All through school, you were the only one to always stand by me, the one to help me on. Now you have turned your back on me, you are better at subtlety than Ron but you are an even worse liar. There was no way you could not have known, they were in the Gryffindor common room at times, you must have known, the Head Girl would know and as Ginny's friend, I know she never kept anything from you. Was it something I did to you? Did I do something to offend you? Was it that I had to go fight a war while you were safe? I guess I'll never know the answers to these questions, I'm not sure there are answers to them. You like Ron were my best friend, but I guess even the best things must come to an end at some point and for us, that point is now. Goodbye Hermione Granger."  
  
Hermione was in Ron's arms, a shocked expression still on his face as tears rolled down his cheeks. Hermione was completely hysterical, and nothing Ron did could calm her down.  
  
"My dearest Virginia, how it now sickens me to call you that. Ten months ago after almost a year dating, I asked you to marry me. I know we were young, but I thought what we had was special, would last through everything. You said you understood that I had to fight the war so that our lives could be peaceful. I was so happy when you said yes, the engagement ring sitting proudly on your finger. You seemed so happy about everything. I guess I should have realised that good things never last for me, I should have realised when the tone of your letters changed all those months ago but I still wrote to you. I never once looked at another woman, it was war anyway, there was no time, but even if there were you were the only one for me. Was it something I said, something I did? We promised each other we would wait for each other for the longest time. I came home last night, intending to surprise you, I left my comrades quickly to make my way to you. Turns out I was the one surprised as I entered the common room, it was empty save for two people. You were one of them; the other was my enemy Draco Malfoy. You were in each other's arms, you gave him the kisses you said were only mine, you spoke the words you said were for my ears only. I found out this had been going on for three months for various different sources. Did you enjoy the cheating? Was it a thrill for you? With Malfoy of all people, a boy who constantly berates your family, who makes fun of those not like himself? Did you enjoy his cruelty? I noticed immediately that you had taken off the ring I gave you, the ring you swore you would never remove. When were you going to tell me? Were you going to tell me? Or was this going to be a life long endeavour? Have the famous Boy-Who-Lived on one side, while cheating on him with his now-worst enemy? You may think me cruel, but the only thing that kept me going at times was you, I dreamed of our wedding but now all I have are dreams, dreams turned to nightmares because of you and him and the others who covered this up. I know you aren't wearing the ring now, you probably haven't realised its gone."  
  
The ring appeared in mid-air in the middle of the group and floated towards Remus Lupin.  
  
"Remus, I have one favour to ask. My love is now broken, and it can never come back. I ask you to bury it with the only woman who ever loved me unconditionally, I ask you to bury it beside my mother."  
  
The ring dropped into his hand, as he nodded as if Harry were before him.  
  
"Ginny, maybe this just goes to show I was never intended for love, maybe it just goes to show that despite all your protests to the opposite, you only wanted the Boy-Who-Lived not me. I doubt that we will ever see each other again, I once called you love, but now I don't know what that means anymore, you don't cheat on the one you love, I never did, not even in my mind. My final words to you, although they may seem harsh, you may even be crying, but my final words are goodbye, Virginia Weasley, you've made your bed now lie in it."  
  
Ginny was absolutely distraught, her tears were flooding down her face, she wanted to curl up and disappear, she wanted to be held by her mother but her mother and father just held each other, almost unable to believe their daughter would do that, and with a boy such as Malfoy as well. She slapped Malfoy away as he attempted to put his hand on her shoulder, she just sat there crying. The three comrades of Harry held no sympathy for her, a look of profound disappointment on Dumbledore's face, disgust in Snape's expression and pain and loathing came from Lupin.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, my enemy. You are but a little boy in the world, Malfoy, your father is now in prison, you have no one to protect you. Are you happy you have destroyed my life? Ever since the beginning, you have made my life a misery, and now at the end you continue to do so. Did you enjoy taking my fiancé away from me? Was it all about taking her away? I don't care what you think you felt, if you felt at all, but at the root of it, it must give you so much pleasure to defeat me just once and in such an important area of my life. I'm surprised you never told me before, or was this your plan all along, to destroy me when I returned, to always know something I didn't? You think you may have beaten me, but I shall rise again, never quite the same but I will be stronger. I hope that one day you realise just what you have done. Does it make you feel like a man? Does it Malfoy? To steal another mans fiancé while he is fighting a war to save your sorry neck. I always knew you were low, but I never thought you would stoop to this. You are a sorry excuse for a Slytherin, you have no honour. Pray Malfoy that we never meet in this life again, for you will not survive the encounter, if you see me, my advice is to run. This hurt will never go away, and neither will my hatred of you. Goodbye Malfoy."  
  
Draco sat there stunned, as he looked around, the adults looked at him with complete loathing and contempt, Ginny couldn't look at him, Ron and Hermione glared at him through their tears.  
  
"And now it is time to end this little speech, I know it hasn't been an easy thing to listen to. I have fought your war with my comrades beside me, we have won the day, but evil will always be around. I have been betrayed by those closest to me and I find that this leaves my victory hollow and worthless. One day, a new evil will arise for we will have learnt nothing from this, and on that day, do not come running to me. I will save those I care about, they know who they are, but the world can go to hell for everyone else. Do not try to find me as I leave on my voyage, any attempts to do so will be responded to unpleasantly at best. And now I say goodbye, don't call me, I'll call you."  
  
The orb fell silent, the room filled with the sounds of people crying. 


End file.
